Strong Quake Near Iran's Nuclear Plant Kills 3

Iranian state television says three people were killed by a powerful earthquake that struck southern Iran Tuesday, close to the country's only nuclear power station.

The Russian company that built the plant, 18 kilometers south of the port city of Bushehr, said the quake was felt there but that operations were not affected.

The 6.1 magnitude quake hit late afternoon local time, about 90 kilometers southeast of Bushehr. It was felt strongly on the other side of the Persian Gulf in Bahrain and Qatar, where offices were evacuated as a precaution.

Iranian media did not give any details on the three casualties. Thousands of people live in two villages near the nuclear plant.

Gulf Arab countries and Western experts have voiced concerns about the Bushehr plant, built in a highly seismic area. Iran has repeatedly rejected concerns it could be unsafe.